'The coyote just went straight through his body': Mississauga residents express concerns about coyote incidents

A wet coyote roams in Elysian Park overlooking downtown Los Angeles, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Pet owners in Port Credit are appealing for help in the wake of what some are calling an “extreme” coyote problem.

Alyssa Crawford, a Port Credit resident, told CP24 her large golden retriever was attacked by four coyotes last week, and coyotes have continued to return to her home in the following days.

“They were biting him, nipping him,” Crawford said. “And these coyotes just have no fear. They weren’t afraid of my husband when he went after them with a broom, yelling. They’re just fearless.”

Crawford’s dog escaped this incident with minor scrapes, but Crawford fears for the safety of her young children in the wake of this attack.

“I’m an animal lover, but if these coyotes attacked my dog, the big concern is what happens to my daughter if she’s playing in the backyard. My dog is 85 pounds. My daughter is 19 pounds. There’s just no comparison.

“We want our kids to be protected. We want our pets to be protected,” she continued.

Crawford says she called Animal Control after the attack, and that they told her they would send patrols to survey the area. But Crawford has seen no evidence of that.

“I’ve never seen animal control in our neighbourhood. There was another attack the following night, I called it in, they said they’d send someone, and I still didn’t see anything.”

Domenic Pariselli, one of Crawford’s neighbours, has also had a run-in with local coyotes – one on March 10 led to the death of his dog. Pariselli lives near the intersection of Pinetree Crescent and Stavebank Road in Mississauga, near the Credit River.

“Coyotes are jumping into our backyard, coming right up to our doors,” he said. “It’s never been like that before.”

When Pariselli’s dog, a toy poodle, was attacked, he died before a vet was able to save him. “The coyote just went straight through his body,” Pariselli said.

“You have to be very aware of your surroundings. I don’t let my children walk my other dog anymore,” he added. “The coyotes have eaten all the rabbits and raccoons in this area. It seems like now they’re a little too comfortable and looking for something else.”

In a statement to CP24, Jay Smith, manager of animal services for the City of Mississauga, said coyote activity has been “relatively low” in Port Credit, adding that 28 patrols related to coyotes have been performed so far in 2023. Smith added that there has been one coyote-related pet fatality in the last 12 months.

“The City of Mississauga has demonstrated success in operating within the structure of a Council-approved Coyote Management program that is focused on effective cohabitation with coyotes,” Smith added. According to Smith, coyotes pose an “extremely low” risk to humans and low risk for domestic pets, with most incidents being preventable by pet owners taking “simple precautions.”

Smith added that Mississauga Animal Services proactively addresses coyote concerns through a number of tactics, including active monitoring of reported sightings and incidents, providing educational outreach to neighbourhoods and local community hubs and conducting patrols to monitor for bold coyote behaviour.Pet owners in Port Credit are appealing for help in the wake of what some are calling an “extreme” coyote problem.